Pa. Eagle Scout Makes Digital Medical Bracelet for First Responders
June 17--Justin Siberski didn't want his Eagle Scout project to be just another park bench or gardening project.
The ambitious 15-year-old wanted to make a real impact in the community as he attained the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts of America, so he decided to make a digital medical bracelet for tactical first responders.
His goal?
"Safety for the people who are protecting our community," he said. "I wanted it to be original."
He brainstormed with his father, Duane, who is one of the regional medical directors for the tactical emergency medical services team that works with emergency response teams in six counties.
"The project was making medical wristbands for the tactical team, SWAT team and paramedics," Justin said. "Originally they have small Ziploc bags in their pockets with their medical information, so it's kind of easy to get for anyone."
It was at a conference that Duane got a water-resistant USB bracelet and realized it would be perfect for what his son wanted to do.
"It was something they can use somewhere they can always secure it," Duane said. "His project is to benefit the local community."
In the year since they conceived this project, Justin created a medical questionnaire, sent it out to the Berks County Emergency Response Team (BCERT), and once the data was received, programmed about 30 bracelets.
He compiled the questionnaire, which was about five pages long, by scanning through medical forms with his father's help.
From there it was a matter of going to a BCERT training and handing out the bracelets.
Justin, a member of Troop 237 of Shillington, will be dispensing the last of the bracelets June 24 at a regular training session.
Each 8-gigabyte bracelet is secured with a password and has a medical number to call if found. The file for each officer and medic consists of a photograph, personal history, demographics, EKG, continuing education and a living will.
The bracelets can be worn on the officers' wrist or secured on their vests or in their individual first aid kits.
Justin and Duane hope to expand this project to include all first responders.
"Hopefully it will get larger," Justin said. "It would be nice for them to be just a little safer on the job."
He applied for funding to expand the project.
Duane said a lot of medics who know Justin are seeing how the project is going and trying to incorporate it into their organizations on their own.
Justin is expecting to become an Eagle Scout before his 16th birthday, two years before many of his peers.
"Throughout my years, everyone was telling me to slow down," Justin said with a smile. "I didn't listen."
Copyright 2015 - Reading Eagle, Pa.
